Way revealed to Abraham, Moses & Jesus’ apostles, chapter 8
To: In Home churches of God, God’s 6th month Elul 5, 5,780. 8/25/2020
From last study’s review we learned from Rom 9: that each unbelieving person is considered dead in their sins/transgressions. From our inherited from Adam nature we’re sinners with uncircumcised hearts until God calls and miraculously make us ‘born from above.’ Jesus answered Nicodemus in regarding to ‘being born from above;’ (”I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born of water and spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must all be born from above.’ The wind blows wherever it will, and you hear the sound it makes, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”) John 3:5-8.
No parable here, Nicodemus and each called out person needs to know how God makes us ‘born from above.’ Remember Jesus breathed on His apostles, giving them to understand the scriptures. It was in a private room, behind locked doors that Jesus said to them again, (John 20:21-23;”Peace be with you. Just as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And after He said this, He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven; if you retain anyone’s sins, they are retained.”) Being ‘born from above’ is a God gifted miracle, in that we don’t see or understand how it came to be, except that our outlook, desires and efforts are changed to a oneness with God, the likeness of Jesus’.
On that first Pentecost after Jesus’ ascension, the third of seven annual Sabbaths, many were spiritually filled, ‘born from above’ God’s gifted spirit was producing the same desire and effort to convert. On that Pentecost Sabbath God allowed the spirit to be seen and heard. (Acts 2:1-4; And when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like a violent wind blowing came from heaven and filled the entire house where they were sitting. And tongues spreading out like a fire appeared to them and came to rest on each one of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them.) God miraculously caused His spirit to be heard and seen in the likeness of tongues of fire resting on each. Recipients of God’s spirit are miraculously ‘born from above’ and were no longer considered dead in their transgressions, but alive in Christ.
Heavenly Father: please turn many to Your Way and shorten this demonic influenced age. Make each free in Christ and grant Your gift of turning. Reveal Your Truth to each genuine seeker. In the name and Jesus’ gifted nature we ask. Amen.
Jesus’ word, His prophets and apostles’ letters were and are to ‘churches of God,’- ‘recipients of God’s spirit.’ Messages intended for His chosen people and never for the various divided schools of theologies’ scrutiny.
Let’s review a portion of Jesus’ apostle Paul‘s letter from last study, to a people whose sins were remitted, those whose lives were hidden in Christ. (Col 3:4-5; You have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ (who is your life) appears, then you too will be REVEALED in glory with Him. So put to death whatever in your NATURE belongs to the earth: sexual immorality, impurity, shameful passion, evil desire, and greed which is idolatry.) You above means ‘you who’re converted to believe in Jesus’ message.’
(Remember Paul explained to the Colossians church and all Believers, that each of them lived as unbelievers before being called. But now you Christians have put off the old man, old nature, old outlook, with its former practices, and have been clothed with the new man that is being renewed in you, in knowledge according to the image of the One ‘Jesus’ who created it, the new nature. Col 3:6-11) Believing in people will be revealed in glory with Jesus when He comes!
When people recognize Paul’s letter to the Colossians is truth, and have a desire to change their outlook to mimic God’s Way, they should recognize their thinking didn’t come from within themselves, but from God. When that’s the case, it’s time to recognize we’re being renewed in knowledge and the likeness of Jesus.”
These studies are for the purpose of grounding us, helping God’s called people recognize their gifted power in Jesus and put down root that is unshakeable. (Review Col 3:6-11) At this point one’s work of overcoming to the end begins.
(Col 3:12-17; Therefore, as the Elect of God, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with a heart of mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if someone happens to have a complaint against anyone else. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also forgive others. And to all these virtues add love, which is the perfect bond. Let the peace of Christ be in control in your heart (for you were in fact CALLED as one body to this peace) and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and exhorting one another with all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, all with grace in your hearts to God. And whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Jesus.”)
As an Elect’s of God people have gifted power to overcome lustful pulls of the flesh, be thankful and trust God to grow us in the image of Jesus. We’re called to clothe, immerse ourselves and develop Jesus’ characteristics as the Elect of God.
One of Jesus’ parables likened His kingdom to a wedding feast. The first invited had other things to do, so the King went out to the wayside and invited as many as would come. When a person came unprepared the King was not pleased. See Matt 22:13-14. Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Tie him up hand and foot and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth! For, many are called but few are chosen.
Many call themselves Christian for the wrong reason when they don’t have a loving desire to obey Jesus. To love Jesus is to obey Him! Calling one’s self a Christian and not yielding to God’s Way, is likened to the person who came to the King’s feast unprepared. Unprepared people don’t know God’s agenda. Only have a self serving agenda to join a church and fit with likeminded folks. Such follow the god of denomination’s imagination. Remember a deceived person don’t know they are. Satan has people in many cults finding their comfort zone in religions. But God says, prove ALL things and hold to what is good. People will be judged for lack of obedience to what they understand.
When people understand that JESUS is the head of His church, ‘the called out Elect,’ that His church is characterizes as His bride, and His teaching began in Genesis with Moses’ writings they’re probably God called. Jesus characterizes Himself as the Husband who gave His life for His bride, as the Son of God submitting to his Father in all things. The Colossians letter is Jesus teaching through His Apostle Paul; how called people should live. To fashion and practice living Jesus’ Way spiritually while in the flesh, as temples of His Spirit. God’s church pattern commands how families, businesses and employee relationships should be.
(Col 3:18-4:1; Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be embittered against them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing in the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they will not become disheartened. Slaves, obey your earthly masters in every respect, not only when they are watching – like those who are strictly people-pleasers – but with a sincere heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you are doing, work at it with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not for people, because you know that you will receive your inheritance from the Lord as the reward. Serve the Lord Christ. For the one who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there are no exceptions. Masters, treat your slaves with justice and fairness, because you know that you also have a master in heaven.)
It’s God’s structure for peace, harmony and His Way, the only true freedom. In so called free societies, unbelieving people have problems with Jesus’ teaching through Paul regarding equality and rights. Few realize, all rights come from God. Writers of the United States constitution recognized this fact. Jesus teaches, true freedom is being obedient to Him. Jesus is Truth and He lived the example.
Under God’s oracles gifted to Israel and taught in Paul’s day, benevolent servitude was the welfare program and should be today. God designed an equitable program for His people, whereby a slave could work toward freedom. In this latter age governments turn all but the very rich into slaves of the state. Laws are passed to take away God given rights, give unorthodox rights at other’s expense. Such laws weakens character, takes away initiatives and imitative learning skills. In God’s Word are all the riches, knowledge and humility intended for His people. Governments don’t seem to realize that we have a Master in heaven. Ordinary people are treated as subjects and property of the state, paying taxes designed to help the affluent and welfare recipients. In most nations people are practically in bondage to government from cradle to the grave. For Israelites servitude protected the unfortunate, those who fell on bad times and never condoned a life time of servitude except by choice.
World’s gods are as many as their imagination. People speak in terms of, ‘my faith’ with the attitude that their personal faith is okay with God. Such thinking is clearly from minds that don’t believe IN God as He’s manifested in Holy Scripture. Believing is to look to Him for direction, beliefs, faith and truth regarding what’s right, wrong, good and evil. When a person says ‘my faith allows me’ they’re demonstrating to themselves that they’re an idolatrous people. Satan is the author of all such thinking and the many demonic deceptions the world does not know. The mystery of Jesus’ gospel to the world is; God’s spirit in people, the mind of Christ imputed, gifted to one’s mind, without which we can’t do the following.
(Col 4:2-6; Be devoted to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving. At the same time pray for us too, that God may open a door for the message so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may make it known as I should. Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunities. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer everyone.)
No apostle ever said, my faith, but emphasized Jesus’ gifted faith. Jesus repeatedly said, I speak as the Father has told Me and followers of Jesus must look to Him for the way. Don’t refer selves as Christian if Jesus’ faith isn’t in you.